SMART Recovery Videos

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The ABC Tool breaks down into three parts: A for Activating Event, B for Beliefs, and C for Consequences. The idea is that (A) something happens, (B) this triggers a belief or thought, and (C) as a result, we experience emotional, behavioral, or physical consequences. Recognizing that our beliefs or thoughts at B are responsible for our reactions at C, not the actual event at A, is a game-changer in recovery.

1. Managing Urges with ABC
   Urges can be powerful, but they're also an opportunity to practice change. When an urge strikes, that's your Activating Event (A). The Beliefs (B) are your thoughts about that urge, like "I can't handle this," or "I need to give in to feel better." These beliefs lead to Consequences (C) — giving in to the urge, feeling anxious, or maybe even berating yourself for having the urge.
   Here's where the ABC Tool shines. By identifying and challenging those beliefs (B), you can change the consequences (C). You might remind yourself that urges always pass, that you're in control, or that giving in only brings temporary relief at a high cost. By changing your thoughts, you change your response, empowering yourself to manage the situation more effectively.
2. Navigating Emotional Upsets with ABC
   Emotional upsets are often triggered by events or situations (A) that lead to automatic thoughts or beliefs (B), resulting in emotional or behavioral consequences (C). For example, if someone cancels plans with you (A), you might think they don't value your friendship (B), leading to feelings of sadness or rejection (C).
   Using the ABC Tool, you can examine those beliefs (B) to see if they're accurate or if there's another way to look at things. Maybe your friend had an unavoidable issue, or perhaps it's an opportunity for you to enjoy some unexpected alone time. By challenging and changing your beliefs, you can mitigate the emotional upset and respond in a way that aligns with your recovery goals.

A crucial part of the ABC Tool is the Disputing process, which involves challenging unhelpful or irrational beliefs and creating effective new beliefs. This process is often referred to as "D" (Disputing) and "E" (Effective new belief) in the extended version of the tool, known as the ABCDE Model. Whether you're dealing with urges or emotional upsets, questioning the validity of your negative beliefs allows you to create new, healthier ones that support your well-being and recovery journey.

The journey to recovery is often fraught with challenges, including strong urges and emotional turbulence. The ABC Tool is a lifeline during these times, providing a practical framework to dissect and understand your experiences. It underscores an empowering truth: while we can't always control events or circumstances, we have the power to control our reactions by understanding and reshaping our beliefs. Through the ABC Tool, you're not just surviving the challenges of recovery; you're mastering the art of navigating your thoughts and emotions, laying a solid foundation for a healthier, more balanced life.

The Change Plan is a detailed outline that helps you identify, organize, and prioritize various elements of your recovery journey. It includes your motivations for change, the specific changes you want to make, potential obstacles you might face, strategies to overcome these obstacles, and ways to maintain your progress. By putting these details into a tangible plan, you transform your desire for change into a practical guide for action.

1. Reflecting on Your Motivations
   Before diving into what you want to change, it's crucial to understand why you want to make these changes. Are you seeking better health? Improved relationships? Greater career satisfaction? Inner peace? By identifying and documenting your motivations, you create a wellspring of inspiration that you can draw upon whenever your journey becomes challenging.
2. Identifying Specific Changes
   Here's where you get specific about what you want to change. These can range from stopping harmful behaviors to developing healthier coping mechanisms, improving emotional well-being, or enhancing physical health. The key is to be clear and specific. Instead of vague goals like "be healthier," opt for concrete targets like "exercise for 30 minutes at least three times a week."
3. Anticipating Challenges
   Change isn't easy, and obstacles are part of the journey. Whether it's temptation, stress, unsupportive environments, or negative emotions, identifying potential challenges helps you prepare for them. Remember, forewarned is forearmed.
4. Strategizing Your Path Forward
   For every challenge you've identified, your Change Plan should include strategies to overcome them. This might involve learning stress-reduction techniques, establishing a support system, removing triggers from your environment, or engaging in alternative activities that provide fulfillment and joy.
5. Maintaining Progress and Managing Setbacks
   Your Change Plan isn't just for the start of your journey; it's a living document that accompanies you throughout your recovery. It should include strategies for maintaining your new behaviors long-term and plans for managing setbacks. Remember, a lapse isn't a failure; it's an opportunity to learn and adjust your plan.
6. Seeking Support
   Though your Change Plan is deeply personal, remember that support is available. Sharing your plan with a trusted friend, family member, or your SMART Recovery group can provide accountability, encouragement, and additional insight

Recovery is a journey of transformation, and the Change Plan is your personal blueprint for this process. It's a dynamic tool that grows with you, reflecting your motivations, goals, challenges, and strategies. With your Change Plan in hand, you're not just wishing for change; you're actively charting your course toward a brighter, healthier future. Remember, the power for change lies within you; the Change Plan is your way of harnessing that power and directing it toward your personal vision of recovery

The Urge Log is a practical tool designed to help you become more aware of your urges. It's a personal diary of sorts, focused specifically on your experiences before, during, and after an urge. By documenting these moments, you're able to analyze what's happening in your mind and body, and over time, discern patterns that can offer profound insights.

1. Recording the Urges
   The first step in using the Urge Log is to record the urges as they occur. This involves jotting down the specifics: what you were doing when the urge struck, the intensity of the urge, how long it lasted, and any emotions or thoughts you were experiencing at the time. The act of recording this information serves as an immediate tool to create some distance between you and the urge, allowing a moment of mindfulness during tension.
2. Identifying the Triggers
   As your Urge Log grows, you'll begin to notice patterns. Certain situations, emotions, or thoughts will emerge as triggers, consistently preceding an urge. Identifying these allows you to recognize potential risk factors in your environment or your emotional state, enabling you to prepare or develop coping strategies for these scenarios.
3. Reflecting on Your Responses
   The Urge Log also prompts reflection on how you respond to urges. Did you engage in the addictive behavior, or did you use a coping mechanism? How did you feel afterward? By being honest with yourself about these responses, you start to understand the consequences of your actions, reinforcing the reasons for your commitment to change.
4. Empowering Yourself Through Analysis
   Over time, the Urge Log becomes more than a collection of entries — it transforms into a map of your personal journey. You'll see how your urges decrease in frequency and intensity, providing tangible proof of your progress. Additionally, by analyzing your log, you can identify which coping strategies work best for you, empowering you to continue on your recovery path with confidence.
5. Sharing Insights in Support Meetings
   While the Urge Log is a personal tool, its true power can be amplified through sharing. In SMART Recovery meetings, discussing your Urge Log insights can provide additional perspectives, support, and encouragement. Others may benefit from your experiences, just as you can learn from theirs.

Recovery is not a path walked in the dark; each step you take is illuminated by your insights, understanding, and growth. The Urge Log is a beacon on this journey, shedding light on the triggers, thoughts, and feelings that fuel your urges. It's a testament to your progress, a mirror reflecting your challenges and triumphs, and most importantly, a reminder that you are not defined by your urges, but by your courage to understand and overcome them.

DEADs is an acronym that stands for "Deny," "Escape," "Accept," and "Dispute." This tool is designed to equip individuals with strategies to combat the immediate demands of addictive urges, providing practical steps to diminish their power and influence.

Deny
The first step involves denying the urge the attention it craves and the power it holds. By refusing to negotiate or engage with the urge, individuals can prevent it from growing stronger. Denying doesn't mean ignoring the urge completely; rather, it's about not giving it the focus that it demands. Techniques can include engaging in a distracting activity or mentally commanding the urge to stop.

1. Escape
   Sometimes, the most effective way to deal with an urge is to physically remove oneself from the triggering situation or environment. Escape can mean leaving a place, a conversation, or even a particular social setting that exacerbates the urge. By doing so, individuals can significantly reduce the urge's intensity and influence.
2. Accept
   Acceptance involves acknowledging the presence of the urge without judgment or immediate reaction. Through acceptance, individuals learn that urges are a normal part of the recovery process and that they can be experienced without succumbing to them. Techniques such as mindfulness and meditation can facilitate this acceptance, helping individuals to observe their urges as transient thoughts that do not necessitate action.
3. Dispute
   The final component, disputing, entails challenging the irrational beliefs and thoughts that often accompany urges. By disputing these thoughts, individuals can weaken the urge's perceived importance and inevitability. This step often involves a rational and logical evaluation of the consequences of giving in to an urge, thereby helping to realign focus with long-term recovery goals.

The DEADs tool is instrumental in helping individuals navigate the often unpredictable nature of urges experienced during recovery. By offering a structured approach to understanding and responding to these intense feelings, DEADs empowers individuals to take control of their reactions and decisions. It's not about eradicating urges completely; rather, it's about developing a healthy, sustainable way to manage them.

Recovery from addictive behaviors is a journey fraught with challenges, but with tools like DEADs, individuals are better prepared to face these hurdles. DEADs doesn’t just offer a temporary reprieve from urges; it instills a lasting skill set that individuals can rely on throughout their recovery journey. By denying the urge power, escaping triggering situations, accepting the urge without judgment, and disputing irrational beliefs, individuals can reclaim control of their lives and continue steadfastly on their path to recovery. The strength of SMART Recovery lies in these practical, science-based tools, designed to foster self-empowerment and independence in the face of addiction.

The Lifestyle Balance Pie is an introspective exercise that assists you in evaluating your satisfaction levels across different life sectors. Picture your life as a pie, each slice representing a crucial component — relationships, career, health, leisure, personal growth, spirituality, and more. You could use some or all of your same values from your Hierarchy of Values tool.

1. Crafting Your Pie
   Start by drawing a large circle on a piece of paper. Reflect on the areas in your life that hold significance for you. These can range from family, work, romance, friendship, health, leisure, personal growth, to your inner spiritual life. Segment the pie into portions that represent these areas.
2. Evaluating Your Satisfaction
   Consider each slice of your pie and reflect on your level of satisfaction with each. Are you happy with your personal growth? Are your relationships fulfilling? Do you find satisfaction in your work? Shade in each segment based on your satisfaction level — fully shaded means completely satisfied, while unshaded indicates an opportunity for growth. This tool isn't just about the time you spend on each area but about your contentment with each part of your life.
3. Analyzing Your Life's Composition
   Once your pie is filled in, take a moment to analyze it. This diagram is a visual representation of your contentment in life. Are there slices that are barely filled? Are you more satisfied with certain areas while others lack fulfillment? This reflection isn't about fostering guilt or discontent but about understanding where you are now. Now imagine your pie like a spinning car tire. Will a ride in that car be bumpy, or nice and smooth?
4. Strategizing for Fulfillment
   Think about your ideal Lifestyle Balance Pie. What aspects of your life would you like to be more satisfied with? Consider ways to enhance satisfaction in these areas. It might involve devoting more time to your hobbies, focusing on health, or nurturing relationships. Remember, change doesn't happen overnight, but small, consistent actions can lead to significant improvements.
5. Embracing Life's Fluidity
   Your Lifestyle Balance Pie isn't fixed; it's a fluid reflection of your life's journey. As your life evolves, your needs and satisfactions will shift. It's beneficial to revisit your pie periodically, reassessing your satisfaction levels and adjusting your strategies as you grow and change.

The Lifestyle Balance Pie is more than a tool; it's a compass guiding you toward a life of greater satisfaction and holistic fulfillment. By understanding where you find joy and where you seek improvement, you're empowered to shape a life that aligns with your inner desires and values. Balance isn't a final destination but a journey of continuous adjustment and realignment. And in this journey, the Lifestyle Balance Pie is your guide, helping you craft a life of richer, more satisfying slices, one step at a time.